Overview & Reviews

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?" That's the opening line of "Mercedes-Benz," a song most famously recorded by singer Janis Joplin in the early 1970s. The tune gently poked fun at materialism and our desire for the finer things in life. It's fitting that the renowned German marque figures prominently in the lyric. Mercedes-Benz has long been known for crafting vehicles that emphasize luxury and refinement. For many, its vehicles are sleek symbols of status, success and good taste.

In January of 1886, Karl Benz unveiled the world's first automobile, a three-wheeled vehicle dubbed the Benz Patent Motor Car. A few months later, Gottlieb Daimler and his chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach rolled out a four-wheeled vehicle powered by his Daimler engine. The first Mercedes was crafted in 1901, shortly after Daimler's death. Built by Maybach, the car was commissioned by Emil Jellinek, one of Daimler's primary distributors, and was ultimately named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

In 1926, the companies founded by Daimler and Benz merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, and the Mercedes-Benz brand was born. The company's insignia was a three-pointed star wreathed in a laurel; the star was dreamed up by Daimler years earlier, and its three points signified the fact that his engines were used in vehicles that traveled land, air and sea.

Right from the start, the Mercedes-Benz name was synonymous with automotive excellence. One of the automaker's earliest vehicles, the 1931 Mercedes-Benz 170, distinguished itself as the world's first production car to offer a technology that was nothing short of extraordinary for the day: four-wheel independent suspension. The '30s and '40s saw Mercedes establishing itself as the brand of choice for car buyers seeking the ultimate in luxury, thanks to coveted cruisers like the 380 and 540K.

The 1950s witnessed the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing," a sports car that has been described as being the world's first supercar. With its dramatic styling and race-bred technology, the 300 SL reigns today as a classic coveted by collectors worldwide. The decade also saw Daimler-Benz making strides in the area of safety technology. The company's Mercedes-Benz 220 sedans were the first vehicles to incorporate its patented "crumple zone" body design, created to absorb impact in the event of a crash.

In 1963, the company cemented its reputation as the home of automotive luxury with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 600. The elegant, luxurious sedan was also available as a limousine and featured an ahead-of-its-time air suspension system and a V8 engine that boasted 300 horsepower. The decade also saw the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. This full-size sedan went from zero to 60 in under seven seconds, distinguishing itself as the quickest luxury car is its day.

The 1970s saw the birth of the brand's storied S-Class line of vehicles, opulent sedans and coupes that coddled passengers with powerful engines and a long list of luxury features. The decade also saw Mercedes continuing on the cutting edge of safety technology, by being the first to offer antilock brakes in its vehicles.

Daimler-Benz's safety advancements continued in the 1980s. Its cars were the first to offer airbags and traction control. The manufacturer also raised the bar in terms of ride comfort and handling when it introduced multilink rear suspension. The technology debuted on the compact Mercedes-Benz 190 E, and it remains a vital component of the company's chassis engineering to this day.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles got an extra dose of power and performance in the 1990s, thanks to the manufacturer's partnership with AMG, a performance and tuning shop that was eventually purchased by the company to help produce ultra-high-performance versions of some of its vehicles. The first AMG model offered in the U.S. was the sporty C36 AMG in 1995; since then, Mercedes has gone on to offer an AMG-tuned version of almost all of its vehicles.

The company's current lineup is the most comprehensive in its history. With a variety of sedans, coupes, SUVs and roadsters filling Mercedes showrooms, it seems like the only thing missing is a pickup truck. Surely, the fact that Janis Joplin's song holds as much relevance today as it did four decades ago is a strong indicator that the brand's premier status is still very much intact.

User Reviews:

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  Mercedes Hit A Home Run! - 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
  By Chofgarden - February 28 - 2:00 am

  After only a month Im in love with this vehicle, it does EVERYTHING well.

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  Great Drive - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Chi-Town - February 27 - 4:00 am

  Purchased 2010 this in November and love everything about this car. This does not drive like a large SUV. Its definitely an improvement our ML (2002). Ride is quiet and interior is well appointed. Need to get used to the Navi- so far I prefer my Garmin- although just one button and the Navi turns on and appears on a large display. Need to do something about the rear seat entrance. Sliding seats would be great as the other reviewer indicated

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  A Beautiful Tank on the outside, Harsh on the inside - 2008 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  By danielk1974 - February 26 - 8:53 pm

  My wife got this car as her ultimate SUV dream vehicle. She had wanted one for 15 years. We got a good deal and she traded in her Lexus LX 570. We went from a peaceful cocoon of luxury to a rough and randy tank. She absolutely loves it. There is truly nothing else like it on the road. However, it is not very comfortable to drive. Steering is heavy. Acceleration is slow. The engine is loud. The seats are not comfortable. And yet everytime she looks at it, she loves it a little more. I dont like driving it at all, but thats why she tells me its her car, not mine.

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  Thirds MB, but I miss my GL450 - 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By H Shah - February 26 - 4:58 pm

  The care has a great ride and is fun to drive. I have 3000 miles on the car, but my wife drives it more than me now. I miss the drive and comfort of the GL450. My next MB will like be back to the GL450. But I recommend this car.

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  drive - 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Jacqueline parks - February 25 - 6:10 pm

  I felt I had to spend too much money on the C 220. I had always wanted a Mercedes and I decided to try this one. I kept it this long because I kept thinking it would last a few more years.I guess I expected more out of the car than what it really was worth. I had bought Toyotas in the past.I still like the body style and design but wished it would have been more durable.It drove good on the highway. The seats were not as comfortable as I would have like them. Maybe I should have tried the 320 but I cant afford the 320. Oh well I enjoyed it while it last now I am going to buy a car that hopefully is more durable.

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  KING OF SUVS - 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Adam - February 25 - 5:40 pm

  I bought this car when it first came out and I loved it. but after a month something went wrong with the airmatic so I had to return it for a new one. I just love the ML i got its fully loaded with everything and i think it is just great. This is the King of SUVs.

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  Worst - 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  By integrity - February 25 - 6:13 am

  Worst Mercedes I ever owned, nonstop problems keep coming, Ive been to 5 Mercedes specialist all the mechanics told me to get rid of this car asap, because too many on this model of car, its not worth to fix, thats why used one is much cheaper than cl55!

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  Best of Breed - 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Zanderxo - February 23 - 1:33 am

  Ive owned a BMW, a Lexus, a Corvette, two Subarus, and two prior Mercedes. The Bluetec gets the ribbon. It has a tight, solid, heavy and luxurious feel, but the torquey motor gives it plenty of punch. I feel safe in this car, even at high speed. It has air bags everywhere, and the TeleAid system (similar to OnStar). It has a tight turning radius and is no problem to park. Visibility all around is excellent. And it is not ostentatious to the point that vandals want to mess with it. The automatic tranny does have the annoying and well-known habit of "hunting" between 1st and 2nd briefly when starting out, but Ive learned to ignore it! My friends Audi had the same problem. No biggie to me.

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  220000 miles and still strong - 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By california driver - February 23 - 12:50 am

  I bought my e320 with 120000 miles it was well maintained. and i took over, my first benz. it has been good to me. i do oil changes, i have changed rear window lifting devices and hand to change sliding mechanism to moon roof, and i changed valve cover gasket but the car still purrs like a tiger. its good on gas and feels like a tank and its a benz, when it reaches 400k i will buy an S Class 2006 4matic. i will drive it till it popps i would feel guilty trading it in for 3k it is worth more than that to me. Viva DeutchLand

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  Solid car - 2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By JulesH - February 23 - 12:50 am

  Car seems to have much more HP than advertised. Engine lot of torque at low RPM, transmission always find best gear. Its a great car for normal driving, its only when you floor it that you realize it has only 220hp. Very solid chassis, good handling, nice ride. Interior is very high quality. Lumbar adjustment and center console opener bit hard to reach. 09 has pelvic airbags, memory seats, power adjust. steering wheel, but no power fold in mirrors. Tech. in car is very advanced and very easy to use. Stereo is excellent. Ipod works great. Navi will give street names in center of speedometer. voice contrl.Front end low, easy to scrape. Car needs very little maintenance, interval is 10k.